11-12 tourney: Clear Spring keeps firing away

July 09, 2012|By WILL ROBINSON | Staff Correspondent

By Colleen McGrath/Staff Photographer

CLEAR SPRING — Clear Spring’s 11-12 All-Stars continued to win, jumping out to a 6-0 first-inning lead en route to an 18-5 defeat of South Mountain in Monday’s Maryland District 1 winners’ bracket game.

Clear Spring will travel to National on Tuesday for the winners’ bracket final at 6 p.m.

Josh Colliflower got things started for Clear Spring in the top of the first with a three-run homer that also plated Dylan Altman and A.J. Yost. Tyler Hill hit an RBI double to score Zach Greenlee, and Chase Reed followed with a two-run homer.

“That six-run first inning was a good momentum builder for us. We really hit well there,” said Clear Spring manager Pete Lazich. “That shot by Colliflower got us started, and the homer by Reed out of the eight-hole kept us going.”

Clear Spring kept the runs coming in bunches, hitting with men on base. Yost hit a two-run single in the fourth inning. Jaret Lazich hit his fifth homer of the tournament — a two-run shot — in the fifth inning to extend Clear Spring’s lead to 10-4. Zach Greenlee went 4-for-5 in the game with two runs scored.

“Our boys are taking cuts and taking advantage of their pitches. We’re not afraid to swing when it’s there,” said Pete Lazich. “Greenlee was on fire today.”

The bulk of South Mountain’s scoring came on defensive lapses by Clear Spring. Aaron Myers and Steven Smothers scored on errors in the second inning and, in the third inning, Cole Rinehart and Logan Saunders scored as Brock Smith reached on a two-base error. Brett Duft scored from third on a throw to second in the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 10-5.

“It was a tight game there for a while. If we could take that first inning back, we would,” said South Mountain manager John Saunders. “We battled there for five innings, but it seems we couldn’t go any farther after the fifth.”

South Mountain came apart in the sixth inning, allowing eight runs on three hits and four errors. Yost hit a two-run homer — Clear Spring’s fourth of the game — to extend his RBI total to four.

“Hats off to Clear Spring, they hit all throughout their lineup,” said Saunders. “I told the kids it’s not over and that we have to keep battling. It hurts, and it should — that shows you care. We’ll get after Sharpsburg tomorrow.”

South Mountain will host Sharpsburg on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a losers’ bracket game.

“This was a team effort. I’m pleased with our hitting and our pitching and I expect our defense to be a little better next time,” said Pete Lazich.